Monrovia – Following Liberia’s recent defeat to Equatorial Guinea in an away match, former Liberian midfielder Arnold Kennedy has called on the Liberia Football Association (LFA) to part ways with national team head coach Mario Marinica.
Kennedy expressed disappointment in the performance of the national team under Marinica, describing it as unacceptable for a country with such a wealth of natural football talent.
Since taking charge, the Romanian coach has managed two wins and three draws, but the team has also suffered three losses—against Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Morocco’s U-23 team. Under Marinica’s leadership, the Lone Star has struggled to play an entertaining and cohesive style of football, often relying on defensive or direct tactics that limit the players’ ability to showcase their skills.
In a Facebook post, Kennedy, who has been instrumental in helping Liberian players pursue football opportunities and education in the United States, called for change.
“It’s time for this coach to go, and some players who have not contributed much after five-plus games should be dropped as well,” Kennedy wrote.
He further questioned the coaching staff’s ability to assess their performance:
“I wonder if the coach and his staff review the game the day after we play to analyze and feel proud of the mess our national team is in all the time?”
Kennedy noted that, in other countries, a coach with such poor results wouldn’t be retained for so long, adding:
“Only in Liberia can a coach keep his job despite such consistently poor performances.”
He also criticized the LFA for ignoring the issues with the team’s management, stating:
“People in our LFA understand football very well, yet they see the poor results from our coach and his staff and do nothing about it, which is both sad and selfish to the whole country.”
Kennedy pointed to basic mistakes, such as the players’ inability to deliver simple crosses or complete passes, as evidence of poor coaching.
“You bring in the few good players we have and leave them on the bench—where else does this happen?” he questioned.
The former international, who played in the U.S. and Europe before retiring due to injury, emphasized that while other so-called underdog countries are improving, Liberia seems to be regressing. He highlighted recent results like Comoros beating Tunisia, Sudan drawing with Ghana, and Lesotho drawing with Gabon, contrasting them with Liberia’s continued struggles.
“Only Liberia can lose, and then we go silent, saying we did well,” he said, adding that there’s no pressure on players to perform since they know they’ll likely get another chance, thanks to family connections or favoritism.
“It hurts so bad to see our country going through problems that are avoidable,” Kennedy concluded in his post on Sunday, October 13, 2024.
Liberia will face Equatorial Guinea in the return leg of the African Cup of Nations Qualifiers today, October 14, 2024, at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex. A win could potentially move Liberia up to third or second place in the group, depending on the result of the Algeria vs. Togo match.
Algeria currently leads the group with nine points, followed by Equatorial Guinea with four points, Togo with two points and Liberia at the bottom with one point.
